Quote: The National Mall has seen many a storied march in its time. The Woman Suffrage March. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I have a Dream" speech.

But two new marches like none before will descend on the Mall this October and it's all thanks to an online campaign started on Reddit.com.

On August 30, commentators on the online message board started suggesting Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert should host rallies as a satirical answer to Glenn Beck's "Restoring America" rally on August 28.

"John Stewart, please hold an event at the Lincoln Memorial. We'll show up and show Glen Beck what half a million people looks like," wrote Mvelez999.

"I've had a vision and I can't shake it: Colbert needs to hold a satirical rally in DC," MrSamMercer posted a day later.

The campaign quickly spread online on Facebook and Twitter. Users started to raise money for DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit that helps deliver supplies to schools around the country. At last count, $239,075 was raised on Colbert's behalf.

What started off as a joke quickly became a real possibility. "A lot people are very serious about this, and are praying desperately for an outlet for their frustration and unhappiness with the current state of America," Vinhboy wrote. "Crazy as it sounds, this "rally" gives a lot of people hope. Besides, if anything this would be an epic win for Reddit."

On Wednesday Colbert responded to the online campaign with a letter to Reddit users. "You have inspired me by helping untold thousands of students; with the momentum you've created, we could stage a hundred rallies," Colbert wrote. "I might just call on you."

Two nights later, Stewart and Colbert announced on their shows that they will march on the National Mall.

Stewart announced his march "Rally to Restore Sanity" and called for everybody to come to Washington, D.C., to show the 15 percent of America that drives the conversation that the rest of the country can get along. "A Million Moderate March... A clarion call for rationality," Stewart called it.

Colbert, who often takes the role of bombastic conservative host to Stewart's exasperated liberal, announced that he will sponsor a "March to Keep Fear Alive."

Stewart said the date of the show has no significance--a reference to Glenn Beck's rally falling on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech. Watch the two announcements below.

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Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have set October 30 as the date for their respective rallies.

On Thursday night's airing of "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," the comedian announced plans for a "Rally to Restore Sanity."

"See you October 30 on the National Mall to spread the timeless message, 'Take it down a notch for America,' " he said.

Stewart dubbed the event a "clarion call for rationality."

"A million moderate march, where we take to the streets to send a message to our leaders and our national media that says, 'We are here! We ... are only here until 6 though, because we have a sitter,'" he said.

On "The Colbert Report," which airs immediately after Stewart's show, Colbert fired back with plans for his "March to Keep Fear Alive."

"Now is not the time to take it down a notch. Now is the time for all good men to freak out for freedom," Colbert said.

I guess I was so caught up in the whole Stuart/Stewart debacle that I didn't even notice. My apologies to Colbert's ego.

Sat Sep 18, 2010 5:22 am

breakfast

Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 2897

Jared Paul wrote: I'm pretty sure I get the point, big Crash. Sometimes I jut gotta throw caution to the wind and follow my subversive lil' heart where ever the crowd of potential radicals takes me, know what I mean?

Yes I can see how this would be appropriate at a "million moderate march."

Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:58 pm

Z-0

Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 700
Location: Sydney

Jared Paul wrote: It'll be an opportunity to talk to folks about anti-Capitalist philosophy, socialism, and direct action. I wonder what the riot cop presence will be like?

guess it depends on how many of the weekend protest warriors turn up ready to throw a brick through the window of some small business owners bakery shop in the name of anti-capitalism...

Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:55 am

Mark in Minnesota

Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Posts: 2066
Location: Saint Louis Park, MN

Quote: NONSENSE AS SALVATION

The human race will begin solving it's problems on the day that it ceases
taking itself so seriously.

To that end, POEE proposes the countergame of NONSENSE AS SALVATION.
Salvation from an ugly and barbarous existence that is the result of taking
order so seriously and so seriously fearing contrary orders and disorder,
that GAMES are taken as more important than LIFE; rather than taking LIFE AS
THE ART OF PLAYING GAMES.

To this end, we propose that man develop his innate love for disorder, and
play with The Goddess Eris. And know that it is a joyful play, and that
thereby CAN BE REVOKED THE CURSE OF GREYFACE.

If you can master nonsense as well as you have already learned to master
sense, then each will expose the other for what it is: absurdity. From that
moment of illumination, a man begins to be free regardless of his
surroundings. He becomes free to play order games and change them at will.
He becomes free to play disorder games just for the hell of it. He becomes
free to play neither or both. And as the master of his own games, he plays
without fear, and therefore without frustration, and therefore with good
will in his soul and love in his being.

And when men become free then mankind will be free.
May you be free of The Curse of Greyface.
May the Goddess put twinkles in your eyes.
May you have the knowledge of a sage,
and the wisdom of a child.
Hail Eris.